Gab Sutton's 2025/26 League One Play-Off Final Preview

Back in 2012, Bolton Wanderers could only manage a 2-2 draw at Stoke City, which meant they went down from the Premier League under Owen Coyle, thus confirming Queens Park Rangers' safety regardless of the result at Manchester City, and precipitating the iconic ‘Aguero moment’.

That same year, Stockport County finished as low as 16th in the National League, off the back of successive relegations, in a decline caused by chronic financial mismanagement, that would subsequently lead to a six-year stay in the sixth-tier tier of English football.

Fourteen years on, though, and the two clubs around the fringes of Greater Manchester, with very different histories, meet as equals at Wembley.

County resurged under the ownership of Mark Stott, while Bolton have since been held back by their own financial troubles, but have rebuilt under Phoenix.

But who will come out on top when the pair battle it out for a spot back in the Championship on Sunday?

Form Guide

Based on performance, Bolton have been the third-best team in League One this season, and by a reasonable distance.

The Trotters have only lost nine of their 46 League One games, and from the 18 draws, they’ve at least doubled the opposition’s number of shots nine times, and shots on target 11 times.

Now, for the fact Wanderers haven’t converted their territorial dominance and number of efforts into goals and wins, they only have themselves to blame: they’ve been wasteful.

Stockport, by contrast, have had less control and they’ve been clinical, which is what the game is ultimately about.

Yet with one of the best midfields in the division, Bolton have demonstrated the ability to consistently control games, something their opponents are yet to prove.

The Tactics Board

Perhaps the biggest tactical quirk around Stockport right now is the fact they have their top goalscorer centre-forward playing in central defence, a trend that continued in the Play-Off Semi-Final 3-0 aggregate victory over Stevenage.

As it happened, Kyle Wootton still made the highlights reel with a wonderful, acrobatic finish from a set piece in the return leg at Edgeley Park, but some would say County put him back in that position more permanently.

The switch is a reflection of both the absence of an aerially dominant centre half to partner the talented Ethan Pye, and the impact of Adama Sidibeh, since joining from St Johnstone in January.

Although not a target man like Wootton, Sidibeh’s searing pace and relentless endurance seems to create space for other players, and has helped the Hatters create chances more incisively with slick play into wide areas, and getting men into the box for cut-backs.

That Sidibeh pace is something Bolton defender Chris Forino will have to deal with, as he looks to build on two fantastic performances against Bradford in the Semi-Final.

Bolton though can take confidence from the control they’ve exerted on midfield battles this season, with the all-action qualities of Ethan Erhahon combined with the playmaking attributes of Josh Sheehan.

Ruben Rodrigues, in the number 10 spot, is a natural presser and will look to shackle Oli Norwood and stop him from dictating play from the base of midfield, and give the ball to Amario Cozier-Duberry, who can create something out of nothing.

Having the latter absent for a significant chunk of the campaign hurt Wanderers’ automatic promotion bid, but the Brighton loanee still landed an impressive eight goals and 10 assists, making him one of the most productive players in the league.

The Betting Angle

• Bolton Wanderers - To Win in 90 Minutes @ 13/8
• Bet Builder - Bolton Wanderers 'To Win to Nil' & Amario Cozier-Duberry 'To Score at Anytime' @ 16/1

Although Stockport finished the higher of the two teams in the end, it could still be argued that Bolton performed the better of the two teams in terms of general play, and therefore they should be favourites at Wembley.

Instead, our traders have put them both at 13/8, implying nothing to choose between them, so Wanderers to win in the 90 minutes is clearly where the value lies.

For a chunkier price, the Bolton win to nil with Cozier-Duberry to score anytime can be backed with our traders as a 16/1 Bet Builder.

It’s likely to be a tight game, and Stockport could prove difficult to breach, as they were in the Semi-Finals, and it might take a moment of magic from outside the box to decide the contest.

The win to nil option gives us some flexibility, because it covers a narrow, low-scoring win for the Trotters, but should they add to their lead to any extent, up to the outside chance of a total whitewash, we remain in profit.

All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.